The National Assembly yesterday summoned the Minister of Finance and
Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to appear
before its Joint Committee on Appropriation, Finance and Legislative
Compliance to explain herself over allegation of attempting to incite
Nigerians against the National Assembly.
Okonjo-Iweala, who was also alleged to be blackmailing the National Assembly into passing the proposed amendment to the 2013 Budget, was reported in some national newspapers yesterday to have said that the Federal Government might not be able to pay workers’ salaries by September, if the National Assembly failed to pass the N72 billion Budget Amendment request before it.
The House of Representatives’ summon followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Samson Osagie, the minority whip, who accused Okonjo-Iweala of consistently insulting the sensibilities of the parliament and inciting Nigerian workers against them.
“This assertion is intended not only to blackmail the National Assembly in the performance of its constitutional mandate, but also to incite Nigerian workers against a legitimate and the non-militant institution of government – National Assembly. There is a subsisting and valid Appropriation Act duly signed into law by the president, which is the operating budget for the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the financial year 2013,” Osagie said, adding that the minister had no right to raise such an alarm.
He further observed that: “from available field reports, the executive organ of government is deliberately delaying or exercising undue tardiness in the implementation of the 2013 Budget. “The Minister of Finance has consistently insulted the sensibilities of the institution of the National Assembly through her constant umbrage and blackmail of this institution”.
He noted that the National Assembly is alive to its responsibilities, and warned that it would not be stampeded or blackmailed by any appointee of government in the discharge of its duties.
Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, who presided over the proceedings of the House, adopted the motion without debate.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said at a press conference in Abuja that the Senate will only consider the proposed amendment after its annual vacation.
The Senate begins an eight-week annual vacation on August 2 and ends on September 30, according to Senate’s amended legislative calendar.
Abaribe said that senators were at a loss when they read comments attributed to Okonjo-Iweala that the inaction of the National Assembly on the 2013 amendment budget will cripple the national economy.
Okonjo-Iweala’s comments, he said, did not go down well with the Senate.
He said that the Senate does not expect any minister or an appointee of the President to make comments which could set the Executive and the Legislature on a collision path.
He said the implication of the minister’s comment is that the two arms of government are on a collision course.
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to send the 2014 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in September.
It would recalled that the House had earlier thrown out the budget amendment forwarded by Jonathan in March on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, which compelled him to send a fresh request last Thursday.
The minister of finance who also double as the coordinating minister on economy was on a radio programme known as ‘political platform’ run by Ray power FM on Monday morning when he she made the statement.
Okonjo-Iweala, who was also alleged to be blackmailing the National Assembly into passing the proposed amendment to the 2013 Budget, was reported in some national newspapers yesterday to have said that the Federal Government might not be able to pay workers’ salaries by September, if the National Assembly failed to pass the N72 billion Budget Amendment request before it.
The House of Representatives’ summon followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Samson Osagie, the minority whip, who accused Okonjo-Iweala of consistently insulting the sensibilities of the parliament and inciting Nigerian workers against them.
“This assertion is intended not only to blackmail the National Assembly in the performance of its constitutional mandate, but also to incite Nigerian workers against a legitimate and the non-militant institution of government – National Assembly. There is a subsisting and valid Appropriation Act duly signed into law by the president, which is the operating budget for the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the financial year 2013,” Osagie said, adding that the minister had no right to raise such an alarm.
He further observed that: “from available field reports, the executive organ of government is deliberately delaying or exercising undue tardiness in the implementation of the 2013 Budget. “The Minister of Finance has consistently insulted the sensibilities of the institution of the National Assembly through her constant umbrage and blackmail of this institution”.
He noted that the National Assembly is alive to its responsibilities, and warned that it would not be stampeded or blackmailed by any appointee of government in the discharge of its duties.
Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, who presided over the proceedings of the House, adopted the motion without debate.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said at a press conference in Abuja that the Senate will only consider the proposed amendment after its annual vacation.
The Senate begins an eight-week annual vacation on August 2 and ends on September 30, according to Senate’s amended legislative calendar.
Abaribe said that senators were at a loss when they read comments attributed to Okonjo-Iweala that the inaction of the National Assembly on the 2013 amendment budget will cripple the national economy.
Okonjo-Iweala’s comments, he said, did not go down well with the Senate.
He said that the Senate does not expect any minister or an appointee of the President to make comments which could set the Executive and the Legislature on a collision path.
He said the implication of the minister’s comment is that the two arms of government are on a collision course.
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to send the 2014 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in September.
It would recalled that the House had earlier thrown out the budget amendment forwarded by Jonathan in March on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, which compelled him to send a fresh request last Thursday.
The minister of finance who also double as the coordinating minister on economy was on a radio programme known as ‘political platform’ run by Ray power FM on Monday morning when he she made the statement.
No comments:
Post a Comment